A Chinese Prisoner Of War In MP Is Waiting For Permit To Go Home Since The Last Fifty Years

Wang Qi, a septuagenarian, has been seeking permission from New Delhi as well as Beijing to allow him to travel to China to meet his three brothers and sisters.

Wang Qi was recruited in Chinese Army in 1960 and fought against India in 1962. He was nabbed by Indian Red Cross Society along India’s eastern frontier in 1963. He was handed over to Indian Army in Assam. He spent six years in jails across India including, Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. He was released in March 1969 and was taken to a rehabilitation centre in Balaghat district of Tirodi by the Madhya Pradesh police.

According to Hindustan Times, Qi told them that he was the most loved child of his mother who passed away in 2006 and three years later he met his nephew in New Delhi. The meeting ignited his hopes to meet his kith and kins in China again. He has been trying to get permission to travel to China since 2014 which seems to be a pipedream. He also said that he heard about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj helping foreign nationals stuck in India to return to their homeland.

He folded his hands and requested both the leaders to help him return to his siblings in China.

He was issued a Chinese passport by the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi in 2013. While applying for permission to travel to China in 2014, he promised to come back to India to stay with his Indian wife and other members of the family, but he couldn’t travel to his birthplace. He has been lost in “official procedures” in New Delhi.

He has not been given Indian citizenship. Though his family members are Indians. He has been asked to wait for permission patiently. Chinese authorities told him that even though India might grant permission to travel to China provided that he is ready to stay back there and not to return to India.

Since he has no documents pertaining to his stay in India from 1963 to 2013, he has been denied travel permission, as per Makrand Deuskar and SP Amit Sanghi, inspector general (intelligence) at police headquarters (Bhopal).

Indian-Sino War took place in 1962 between India and China. The main pretext of the war was a disputed Himalayan border.

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An Army Colonel Is Changing Lives Of Thousand Of People From North-East Using White Bullets

Retiring after spending 32 years in the Indian Army, Col Chris Rego is helping change the destinies of hundreds of children in conflict-affected North East India through his “White Bullets” initiative. With this initiative, he hopes to bring peace and progress to communities across North East India.

Luminouswanted to bring out the Colonel’s story to the world to inspire and motivate others as it believes that education is a strong tool to empower women. It is supporting Col Rego’s cause through an initiative called #Luminaries – the brave people who stand up for causes like girl child education and make a difference in the society.

Col Rego’s journey started over a decade ago in Manipur when a tribal woman knocked on his door pleading for support for her daughter’s education. Touched by the woman’s story, Col Rego and his wife delved into their savings and arranged for the money for the girl’s education. Two years down the line, the woman returned, this time with a small pumpkin and a shawl that she had knitted, and all the money she had borrowed. Moved and realizing that their money could make lives rather than earn paltry interest, Col and Mrs. Rego embarked on a journey to arrange for sponsorship of many more underprivileged children.

Retiring from the Army, Col Rego took over as CEO of Sunbird Trust, a not-for-profit organization which he founded in 2014. The Trust now sponsor over 1,000 children in 21 locations acrossNorth East India. The centre of Sunbird Trust’s activities is at beautiful Ijeirong, Manipur.

Recognizing Col Chris’s immense work, Luminousacknowledged him as their first Luminary. Through this, they hope to bring more power to his elbow in the notable work he is doing. The Luminousteam travelled to remote Ijeirong village and installed solar products. These solar products will help in providing power to the entire campus 24/7 for the very first time.

The Logical Indian salutes Col Christopher Rego for his untiring efforts and leadership. His efforts are already having a cascading effect on people from across India joining the “White Bullets” endeavour. Quite amazingly, education, in itself so empowering, is merely a means to PEACE. We hope the path illuminated by #Luminary Col Rego and his Sunbird Trust team acts as a beacon for others to follow.

If you too have stories of change, share them with us. And if you want to connect with Colonel Rego, click here.